Mooring device



G. E. DE JONG MOORING DEVICE Dec. 21, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov.6, 1964 VEMTO Geese CS. lDcqjoxg AJ flaw.

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MOORING DEVICE Filed NOV. 6, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 CE-r-romav UnitedStates Patent Ofitice Biz- 554M Patented Dec. 21, 1965 3,224,4(54MOORING DEVICE George E. De .Iong, 2381 Cumberland St., Rockford, Iii.Fiied Nov. 6, 1964, ar. No. 416,827 6 Claims. (Cl. I1423) This is acontinuation-in-part of application Serial No. 230,457 filed October 15,1962, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a device for use in mooring a boat and relatesmore particularly to a mooring device for securing a line between theboat and a dock.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a novel deviceof the above character which is easy to manipulate and simple inconstruction and operation, is capable of securing a line quickly andeasily to all the various mooring connections normally found on docks,and which, after being used in mooring the boat, sub sequently serves asa brace for preventing chafing of the boat against the dock.

A related object is to provide a portable mooring device which moors theboat completely with a flexible line and includes an elongated brace forholding the boat away from the dock.

A more specific object is to provide a novel mooring device including anelongated handle with a line secured at one end to the handle and formedwith a loop adapted to be held open, dropped over, and drawn tightlyaround a mooring connection, the free end of the line then being snubbedaround a second mooring connection at the other end of the handle.

Another object is to provide novel means on the handle for cooperatingwith the line in securing the device quickly and easily to a mooringconnection.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspectiveview showing a boat moored to a dock with mooring devices embodying thenovel features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one of the mooringdevices shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 33of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing one way in which thedevice is used.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective View showing the devicesecured to a mooring ring.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing the devicesecured to a mooring cleat, this view being similar to a portion of FIG.1.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view generally similar toFIG. 6 and showing a modified form of the invention.

As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the invention isembodied in a mooring device 10 (FIG. 1) for use in securing a mooringline 11 between a boat 12 and a dock 13. The improved device is easilymanipulated either from the dock or from the boat, makes it possible toreach the dock from a distance without leaning out of the boat, and maybe securely connected to mooring connections at both ends. Moreover,after the line 11 is secured between the boat and mooring connection onthe dock, the device prevents the boat from drifting toward and rubbingor chafing against the dock.

To these ends, the mooring device 10' includes an elongated tubularhandle 14 with a flexible line 11 fast at one end on the handle andextending first outwardly from one end of the handle and then back intoand through the latter to form a loop 15 at the outer end of the handleadapted to be dropped over a post 17 or mooring cleat on the dock.

The loop may be drawn tightly around the post by pulling on the free endportion of the line at the inner end of the handle. This free endportion then is secured to the boat or dock to complete the mooringoperation.

In this manner, the boat 12 is moored quickly and easily with a flexibleline. When the loop 15 is tightened and the free end of the line issecured close to the other end of the handle, however, the latter, inaddition to facilitating the docking of the boat, forms a rigid,noncompressible mooring brace which holds the boat away from the dockeven in rough weather.

In the present instance, the handle 14 is formed by a hollow tube of anydesired length which is composed of sturdy but lightweight metal. Oneend portion of the line 11, which usually will be braided nylon, extendsa short distance into one open end 18 of the tube and is inserted in ahole 19 (FIGS. 3 and 5) adjacent the tube end. This end of the line isknotted at 20 to fasten the line to the tube. The other end portion ofthe line 11 is passed through the interior 21 of the tube from the sameend and is long enough to project well beyond the other open end of thetube. To prevent the line from pulling accidentally from the tube, amember 22 larger than the interior of the tube is fast on the free endof the line.

In the form shown in FIGS. 16, a connector in the form of a hook 23 ismounted on the tube 14 adjacent the end 18 thereof. This hook comprisesa generally U- shaped bar with its open end facing toward the remote endof the tube. One leg 24 of the bar is held fiat against the tube byscrews 25 passed through the tube and threaded into the bar (see FIG.3). The other leg 27 of the bar is spaced from the tube and preferablydiverges slightly therefrom toward its free end. As will appear later,this hook is used for various purposes in docking a boat.

Sleeves 28 and 29 composed of a resilient material such as relativelyfirm rubber are telescoped onto the opposite ends of the tube andproject somewhat beyond the tube ends (see FIG. 3). In addition toreducing fraying of the line 11 by the tube edges, these sleeves cushionthe contact between the mooring device It) and the boat 12 to preventmarring of the surfaces of the latter.

Three ways in which the loop 15 may be formed preparatory to docking aboat are shown in FIGS. 12, 3 and 4. In FIG. 3, the loop is allowed tohang freely with the two strands thereof slightly parted. This usuallywill be sufficient separation of the strands where the loop is to bedropped over a cleat 30 such as the one shown in FIGS. 1 and 6. Toeffect a somewhat wider opening of the loop, one strand may be slippedaround the hook 23 as shown in FIG. 2. Where a Wide loop is desired, onestrand of the loop is drawn down along the side of the handle 14 andgripped in the manner shown in FIG. 4. 'In each case, the loop is drawntight to bring the sleeve 18 tightly against the mooring connection.

The primary purpose of the hook 23 is to effect a quick and secureconnection to an annular mooring connection such as a mooring ring 31(FIG. 5) on the boat or dock. For this purpose, the loop 15 first isslipped over the ring and the free end of the outer leg 27 is bookedthrough the ring. When the loop then is drawn tight in the manner shownin FIG. 5, it holds the hook securely in engagement with the ring. Torelease this connection, the loops is loosened so that the hook may beshifted out of the ring.

It will be understood that the tube 14 may be made of any desired lengthselected according to the normal use to which the device will be put.The spacing of dock posts or cleats, the size of the boat, and otherfactors in fluence the choice as to length. Further, a pair of devicesnormally is used to moor one boat.

In the mooring shown in FIG. 1, the boat 12 has been docked by a personon the dock rather than in the boat.

In such a case, the person on the dock 13 drops the loop 15 over a cleat3d on one end of the boat, the stern in FIG. 1, when the boat is closeenough to be reached. He then pulls the loop tight so that the sleeve 28on the outer end of the tube abuts against the cleat as shown in FIG. 3.The sleeve probably will bear against the deck of the boat. Then, thefree end portion of the line is snubbed around a cleat on the dock, oraround a post 17 as shown in FIG. 1, with the other sleeve 29 on theinner end of the tube abutting against the post or cleat. Thus, thestern of the boat is secured to the dock.

The second device 10' shown in FIG. 1 is secured to a connection such asa second post 17' adjacent the opposite end of the boat, the bow inFIG. 1. It may be desirable at this time to use the hook 23 in an eye orring (not shown) on this end of the boat to pull the latter within easyreach. Either the loop 15 will be secured to a cleat 30 on the bow ofthe boat or the loop and hook will be used in the manner shown in FIG.

on an eye.

After the device has been secured to the boat 12, the free end portionof this line 11' is snubbed around the post 17' or cleat on the dock. Tocomplete a relatively rigid bracing structure, it is desirable to makethe lines 11 and 11' long enough to be angled back to the boat and thefree ends fastened to another, intermediate cleat 31'. Thus, the freeend portions form spring lines for the moored boat.

It will be apparent that if the boat is docked by the operator alone,the process involves the same general steps, the loops 15, being droppedover the dock posts 17, 17 and the spring lines being fastened to thecleats 30, 30' on the boat and then angled back to a cleat 32 on thedock. During a mooring of this type, the substantial reach provided bythe devices reduces the danger of tipping and contributes to the ease ofdocking.

The mooring device also may be used as a temporary anchor for the boatwhere a projection such a tree branch, a stump, or a rock is available.The loop 15 simply is dropped over the projection and drawn tight, andthe free end portion is fastened to the boat as before.

An incidental feature of this versatile device is its usefulness incorrecting an overshoot or missed mooring where the operator misjudgeshis approach to the dock and is drifting past at a distance too greatfor the normal use of the mooring device. In such a situation, thehandle 14 is used to whip the free end portion of the line, weighted bythe member 22, toward the dock and wrap several turns of the line arounda dock post. Preferably, the member 22 is a dead weight such as a smallbag of lead shot which will not bounce away from the post uponcontacting it. Thus, the boat operator can start the boat toward thedock simply by pulling on the line. It will be seen, of course, that theline probably will unwrap under the operators pull and, therefore, theprocess may have to be repeated a number of times to reach the dock.

A modified from of the mooring device is shown in FIG. 7. In thisinstance, a connector in the form of an eye or ring 37 is fastened tothe inner end of the tube 38 to be slipped over one end of a mooringcleat 39 as shown in FIG. 7. The free end portion of the line 40 extendsthrough a hole 41 spaced from the inner end of the tube and, whenwrapped in the usual manner around the cleat, positively holds the ring37 in place on the cleat thereby effecting a quick and secureconnection.

The inner end portion of the tube is bent at 42 to form an abtuse angleon the order of 30 degrees with the outer end portion so that the tubeis spaced well above the deck of the boat when the two mooringconnections are at different levels. The boat may rise and fall with thetide without rubbing against the tube. A hook (not shown) similar to thehook 23 may be mounted adjacent the outer end of the tube as in thefirst form.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that a mooring device of thetype described is an extremely versatile and useful tool well adapted tofit almost any docking situation. At the same time, it is quite simplein construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

I claim as my invention:

1. A boat mooring device including, in combination, an. elongated tube,a line extending through said tube and formed with a loop projectingfrom one end of the tube, said line having a free end portion projectingfrom the other end of said tube whereby said loop is drawn into the tubeto be tightened around a mooring connection, said tube forming a bracefor holding a moored boat away from a dock when said free end portion issecured to a second mooring connection at said other end, and a hookfast on the exterior of said tube adjacent said one end and openingtoward said other end to cooperate with said loop in securing saiddevice to an annular mooring connection.

2. A boat mooring device including, in combination, an elongated rigidtube, a line fast at one end on said tube and projecting outwardly fromthe outer end of the tube and back into and through the tube to form aloop at the outer end, said line having a free end portion projectingbeyond the inner end of the tube whereby saidloop is drawn tightlyaround an annular mooring connection, and a hook fast on the exterior ofsaid tube adjacent the outer end and opening inwardly toward the otherend to hold said loop open during the modring operation and also tocooperate with said loop in securing said outer end to said annularmooring connection.

3. A mooring device as defined in claim 2 in which said hook is agenerally U-shaped bar having one leg disposed against said tube and asecond leg spaced from and generally parallel to said tube.

4. A boat mooring device including, in combination, an elongated rigidtube, a line fast at one end on said tube and projecting outwardly fromthe outer end of the tube and back into and through the tube to form aloop at the outer end, said line having a free end portion projectingbeyond the inner end of the tube whereby said loop is drawn tightlyaround a mooring connection, and an eye secured to said inner end andsized to slip onto a mooring cleat thereby to cooperate with said linein securing said inner end to a mooring cleat.

5. A boat mooring device including, in combination, an elongated rigidtube, a line fast at one end on said tube and projecting outwardly fromthe outer end of the tube and then back into and through the tube toform a loop at said outer end, said line having a free end portionprojecting beyond the inner end of the tube whereby said loop is drawntightly around a mooring connection, and an eye on said tube adjacentsaid inner end for cooperating with said free end portion in securingsaid inner end to another mooring connection, said eye being offsetlaterally from said tube to hold the latter away from the deck of a boatto which it is connected.

6. A mooring device as defined in claim 5 in which said tube has a bendbetween its ends disposing the inner end portion at an obtuse angle withthe outer end portion thereby to provide the offset of said eyelaterally from said outer end portion.

References lCited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1955 Wood119-153 5/1961 Bowers et al 114-230

1. A BOAT MOORING DEVICE INCLUDING, IN COMBINATION, AN ELONGATED TUBE, ALINE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID TUBE AND FORMED WITH A LOOP PROJECTING FROMONE END OF THE TUBE, SAID LINE HAVING A FREE END PORTION PROJECTING FROMTHE OTHER END OF SAID TUBE WHEREBY SAID LOOP IS DRAWN INTO THE TUBE TOBE TIGHTENED AROUND A MOORING CONNECTION, SAID TUBE FORMING A BRACE FORHOLDING A MOORED BOAT AWAY FROM A DOCK WHEN SAID FREE END PORTION ISSECURED TO A SECOND MOORING CONNECTION AT SAID OTHER END, AND A HOOKFAST ON THE EXTERIOR OF SAID TUBE ADJACENT SAID ONE END AND OPENINGTOWARD SAID OTHER END TO COOPERATE WITH SAID LOOP IN SECURING SAIDDEVICE TO AN ANNULAR MOORING CONNECTION.